On March eighth, Britain’s Leon Edwards headed into his rematch in opposition to Kamaru Usman searching for vindication. ‘Rocky’, as he’s affectionately identified by his adoring public, had knocked out the identical opponent in August 2022 to safe the UFC World Welterweight Championship. However many thought that the 31-year-old Brit had been considerably fortunate to choose up that victory, knocking his opponent out within the fifth and last spherical at UFC 278 whereas trailing on the scorecards. The net betting odds comparisons by oddschecker mirrored the MMA neighborhood’s sentiments, and made the champion the underdog for his rematch in opposition to the Nigerian Nightmare.

However with the rematch going down in London, England, in a card constructed across the hometown hero, there was no means Edwards may lose. He was on the hunt for vindication, whereas Usman – who was the consensus pound-for-pound king previous to his stunning defeat in Salt Lake Metropolis – was searching for vengeance. One thing needed to give at London’s O2 Area, and one gladiator would stroll away empty-handed, whereas the opposite would emerge because the undisputed king of the welterweight division.

Simply as he did seven months prior, Edwards did sufficient to get the job accomplished. However how did he do it? Here’s a full breakdown of Leon Edwards’ back-to-back victories over Kamaru Usman.

Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman 3 – UFC 286 – March 2023

Jamaican-born Brit Leon Edwards has been British martial arts’ shining star for quite a lot of years now. He has picked up notable victories in opposition to the likes of Nate Diaz, Rafael Dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone. However it took a very long time for him to lastly get his title shot. The champion, Kamaru Usman, had been dealing with enterprise with Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal, whereas Edwards needed to patiently await his alternative.

When his probability got here, he wouldn’t take it as a right, and with one swift head kick, he despatched the champion into the shadow realm and secured his seat as the best 170-pound fighter on the planet. We’ll have extra on that exact victory later. However within the meantime, let’s speak about Edwards vs Usman 3, which came about on March 18th inside London’s O2 Area.

Heading into the competition, Edwards was out to show that his victory was no fluke. And the reams of coaching footage displaying that Rocky and his workforce had drilled that head kick time and again would counsel that it certainly was no fluke. However Kamaru Usman and his workforce felt that there was no means Edwards would be capable to pull out the victory. Within the prefight press convention, the previous champion mocked the champion’s cornerman, who repeatedly instructed his fighter in Salt Lake Metropolis: “You’re letting him bully you, son.” Usman would then say “…and also you’re going to get bullied once more.”

However on this evening, Leon Edwards proved that he was the higher fighter. As soon as the primary bell sounded, the champion attacked the challenger with a plethora of onerous leg and physique kicks, which had been visibly making the Usman wince in agony. Usman would shoot for takedowns, however Edwards was staunch in his protection and remained on his ft for the overwhelming majority of the bout.

Within the third spherical, the house favourite had a degree deducted for grabbing the fence and thus avoiding being taken down. Many thought which will swing the tide within the favor of the challenger. Because of the purpose deduction, Edward would want to win not less than three rounds simply to safe a draw. He would do higher than that although.

His sharper taking pictures from the surface and his staunch takedown protection would safe him 4 rounds on two judges’ scorecards, which might give the challenger only one spherical. That was sufficient to safe Leon Edwards a second consecutive victory over Kamaru Usman, this time by majority determination, and safe his standing as the best welterweight on the planet. And it stays to be seen how his star might rise from right here.

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Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 2 – UFC 278 – August 2022

Again in December 2015, Leon Edwards suffered the third defeat of his profession when he was handed a unanimous determination defeat by the hands of Kamaru Usman. Within the years that adopted, Usman would usurp Tyron Woodley because the welterweight champion of the world, whereas Edwards would rack up a monstrous profitable streak of his personal.

After the Nigerian Nightmare had defeated a assassin’s row of opponents, Edwards would lastly get his shot at UFC 278, seven years on from their earlier bout. Within the years that handed, the British fighter had grow to be an issue in Usman’s division and hadn’t suffered a single defeat since that painful December night. He knew his and Usman’s paths would cross as soon as extra, and that’s precisely what occurred.

Heading into the competition, Usman was a heavy betting favourite because of his scintillating victories over the aforementioned Covington, Usman and Masvidal. Many thought that Edwards’ wrestling wouldn’t maintain as much as that of the champion, nonetheless, Rocky put these doubts to mattress within the first spherical when he turned the primary man to efficiently take down the champion, securing him an early lead on the scorecards.

Because the battle progressed, nonetheless, Usman would take over. Whereas he wouldn’t inflict important quantities of harm on the challenger, he was the person in management, and because the battle entered the fifth spherical, everybody know that Edwards would want a miracle to safe the victory. And that miracle got here with barely a minute remaining.

Edwards would discover a head kick from out of nowhere which related flush on Usman’s chin, knocking him out chilly. The Vivint Area in Utah erupted and a brand new welterweight champion of the world had been topped, and his identify was Leon Edwards.

The Birmingham, England native turned simply the second British World Champion following within the footsteps of Michael Bisping. ‘The Rely’ notched his identify into the document books six months previous to Leon Edwards’ final skilled defeat by defeating Luke Rockhold with a first-round knockout, and that might be performed in the identical spotlight reel as Edwards’ head kick for years to come back.